Epidemiological analysis of morbidity and mortality from suicide among adolescents in Minas Gerais, Brazil

This study is a descriptive epidemiological analysis of morbidity and mortality from suicide in people aged 10 to 19 years living in the state of Minas Gerais. The source of the mortality data were the data available in the Mortality Information System, DATASUS of the Ministry of Health, over the period 1980-2002. The morbidity data were collected from the Hospital Information System, over the period 1998-2003. Absolute and relative simple frequencies of 2.338 hospitalizations and 1.212 deaths from attempted suicide and suicide over the chosen period were analyzed according to sex, age and method used. The population data used for calculating rates was extracted from the census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The International Classification of Diseases-ICD 9, from the years 1980 to 1995 and the 10th review since 1996, codes E950 to E959 and X60 to X84, were adopted respectively. The highest hospitalization rates were found among women. Self-poisoning was the most common method for attempting suicide in both sexes. However, adolescent males had the highest mortality rates and the most common methods of suicide (hanging and use of firearms) were more lethal than the method commonly chosen by females (self-poisoning). Based on these findings, the authors emphasize the need for preventing these events among young people.